A Troublesome Proposition
by Lucreace
Summary: Marla was happy in her job as a lecturer on history when an unusual, intreging proposal arrives one day. Unable to cast it aside, she decides to embark on what could be one of the most dangerous ventures of her life. Khan/Marla fiction.
1. Chapter 1 - Challenged

**OK, so this is a new venture of mine... I'm using some prompts, which will form the title of each new chapter. This, I hope, will help me keep chapters flowing with new ideas while following a basic plotline. I'm using Star Trek once again (yay) as I have to admit it is one of my favourite fandoms to write in and after spending over 18 months writing Harry Potter, I need a change! I've not abandoned the other stories I have, I just need a change from time to time.**

 **Let me know what you think - I'm also trying to write longer chapters as well, though we shall see how that goes.**

 **Thanks**

 **Lu**

The urge to throw the alarm clock across the floor was almost too much to resist. Curling an arm from beneath the covers, Marla hit the snooze button and willed herself back into the comforting space between consciousness and dreaming. Just five more minutes, five more and she'd haul herself out of bed and into the shower. She pulled her hand back under the blanket and let out a sigh, comfortable in her haze of slumber.

Minutes later, the damned thing went off again and she sat up with a moan. Pressing the button on the top of it, the high pitched beep ceased. She ran a hand over her face, pushed fine red strands from her face and swung her feet from the bed. Rising, it was a short trip to the bathroom and into the shower. The moment the cool water hit her warm skin, Marla began to feel more awake. After another ten minutes, she knew she was ready to face the day. Standing in front of the mirror, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail and looked herself in the eyes, "You are good enough and you can do this." The same words she spoke to herself every day. She'd have thought that lecturing history to top Starfleet graduates would have gotten easier over time but she found that it wasn't the case. Maybe it was more habit than anything else these days, still, sometimes the nerves gripped her just before a lecture and left her throat dry and her heart pounding.

As soon as she was ready, she stepped into her comfortable lecturer's uniform – red and pulled on her boots. She never understood why teachers had to wear the same uniform as the rest of Starfleet but at least she didn't have to pay for it herself. Descending the stairs, she nodded to her housemate, Rowyn as she passed the kitchen, "There's coffee," he said. That pulled her back and she stuck her head around the door. Checking the clock on the wall, she let out a sigh.

"Have to take it to go," she said. He opened a cupboard and pulled out one of her many portable cups. Crossing the room, she poured some of the freshly ground liquid into it and gave his arm a pat, "Thanks."

He shrugged off her compliment and she returned her journey to the outside world. As soon as she opened the door, bright sunshine flooded in, making her recoil slightly. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on. There was no way she would be able to see where she was driving with this bright light. She even considered taking the shuttle for a moment but dismissed the idea as ridiculous. Unlocking her vehicle, she was on her way to the lecture theatre in moments.

Despite the fact it was rush hour on a Monday morning, the roads were surprisingly clear. She managed to arrive at the hall and be in her office at least fifteen minutes earlier than she had hoped. The large stack of papers on her desk told her that taking the weekend off really hadn't been such a great idea and she shook her head. Removing her jacket, she placed it on the hook and settled into her comfortable chair. No sooner had she pulled the first of the papers in front of her, there was a tap at the door. Resisting the temptation to roll her eyes, she called for whoever it was to enter.

The door opened and in the opening stood her partner in crime, Abbi. Her blonde bob nodded as she sauntered into the room and she sank into the chair on the opposite side of the desk, "You still have your sunglasses on you know," Abbi said. Marla hastily yanked them from her face and shook her head.

"It's not what it looks like," she replied with a smirk. Taking a sip of her coffee made he realise that the gesture would make it look exactly like it. Abbi raised both slender eyebrows and shook her head.

"So, how did it go?"

"What?"

"The big date dummy!" Of course, how did she expect to get away with not telling her about that? Marla let out a sigh and placed her cup back onto her desk. She hardly wanted to recall the events of Friday night. Letting out a small sigh, she ran a hand over her face and shook her head.

"Disastrous." A look of confusion crossed Abbi's face and the blond tilted her head a little.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, he was nice enough but…" she gave a shrug. She could hardly tell her best friend that her friend had the manners of an animal and was only interested in talking about how many matches he had won in his youth. She'd been bored to tears within minutes and had to endure watching him chew his food with an open mouth. She supressed a shudder and gave a weak smile.

"I know what you mean, Dan can be… well, Dan." Abbi said as though this explained everything. She gave her another weak smile and shook her head.

"I'll not be seeing him again anyway," she said, "How about you?" she asked turning the conversation to her friend's weekend rather than hers. Abbi waved her hand before picking up one of the model ships on her desk and turning it over.

"Nothing exciting," Abbi said as she replaced the ship. "Roll on the next one, at least we all get an extra day off." Marla nodded as her friend spoke and found herself wishing she'd leave her to mark the papers that were still on her desk gathering dust. A pang of guilt shot through her at the thought, Abbi was her friend and she was only trying to be helpful. She didn't offer any other part of the conversation however and her friend took the hint. She kicked the chair back and rose, "I've got to get to the lecture hall over the other side, I should probably leave you to it."

"I've got these to grade and my first class is in about an hour." Marla looked up and pulled a bit of a face, "Perhaps I'll see you at lunch?"

"If I can get through the morning," Marla replied with a smile that was almost genuine.

"Oh, I actually came to give you this," Abbi said as she stood up. "The top brass are here today. I don't know all the details but it's something about a new research project that's come up." She dropped an envelope onto her desk with a shrug, "I'll see you later." With that, she turned and left the office. The moment she was gone Marla picked up the cream coloured letter and tore into it. The officials at headquarters rarely visited the academy so this was something of note. The letter however, gave no further details of what they were looking for so she placed it to one side and continued marking the papers.

When the old fashioned wind-up clock on the wall struck the half hour, she pushed the stack away and got to her feet. At some point over the last hour, she'd drained her coffee and found she missed it. Letting out a sigh, she picked up her PADD and headed to the lecture theatre that would be hers right up until lunchtime. It was a short walk to the theatre and as soon as she was there, she began connecting up her PADD to the projectors. She was going to show her students some stills of early 1900's England and ask them to see how it related to the modern world. The images showed the first cars and she hoped they would be able to make some connections.

The first of her students entered the hall and sauntered to the front of the theatre, "Morning Ms. McGivers," she said as she settled into one of the seats. She filled a glass of water ready for the lecture before she answered.

"Hello Angela," she nodded. As soon as everything was connected up, she rested on the lectern and waited for the rest of her students to arrive. Slowly, they began filtering into the hall and taking their seats. Most of them looked half asleep and she sighed inwardly, hopefully this lecture wouldn't be as painful as pulling teeth, especially if the officials dropped in to observe her. She pushed that particularly nerve wracking thought to the back of her mind and clapped her hands together. It was time to begin.

When the lecture theatre had quietened and the students were all ready to start, she flicked on the overhead and indicated the picture there. She had them discussing the key points in the image with each other first before wanting to take opinions. Leaving it a few more minutes, she sipped her water and eavesdropped on some of the discussions. One was focused around the lines running over one of the street, wondering what they were for. Another had picked up on the elaborate and totally impractical design of some of the buildings, typical Vulcan observation. The door at the back of the hall slid open and a couple of official looking personnel slipped into the back of the room.

"Alright class, let's bring this together for some discussion then," she said after clearing her throat. Everyone listened for a change and she let herself relax, "What does this image tell you? T'Kir's group, start us off please," she added indicating the Vulcan.

"We mainly discussed the concept of early modern buildings. The ornate details seem superfluous and illogical. Surely a simple building would have been easier to construct." His argument was sound and she turned to the rest of the group to see if they had a rebuttal.

"The British Empire was at its height in the very early 1900's" she said, "What does that tell you about these buildings?"

"It was a show of strength," It was Talli who spoke, "They wanted everyone to know who had the most wealth, the most power so they designed buildings to remind everyone who was in charge." Marla nodded as the young woman explained herself.

"This was typical of the time period; the twentieth century was littered with such primitive shows of dominance." Angela said, "Right through from the Great War all the way to the Eugenics War in the late 1990's."

"Why do you think that is?" Marla heard herself asking. Her student's had a way of derailing what it was they were supposed to be discussing but when an idea caught them, she found it difficult to steer them back onto the right path.

"Earth, and the human race, was totally different to what it is now. Instead of the unified alliance we currently have, it was divided up into countries, each with their own governments. It was like having a lot of tribes all fighting against each other for their piece of land. Until we learned to get along, nothing great was going to be achieved," David said. Marla frowned at that, she wasn't sure she agreed with the statement entirely, sure, Earth had been torn by war but that didn't mean the time didn't have its merits either.

"A little harsh in my opinion however, it's a tough question to answer, I think we'll have your thoughts to that in the form of a paper, to be delivered by next session, however, I'd like us to move on to another point the photograph raises. If you want to look at the politics of the twentieth century, I do run a course in the second semester." There were a couple of laughs at the shameless self-plugging of her course and she only smiled. "This one is entitled The History of Transportation for a reason."

After that, the conversation steered in a more appropriate direction and the discussion of the early car flowed freely. She also explained that a lot of early twentieth century cities made use of trams, thus explaining the wires seen in the image. The conversation flowed to the ever adapting design of the car and before she knew it, the bell was sounding and the class was at an end. "Before you go, I want you to write a report on what you think is the biggest upgrade the car has seen and why. On my desk for next Monday morning please," she said as her students began to pack their things away.

"What about the paper on the merits of the twentieth century politics?" T'Kir asked.

"It's not really what this course covers but if you want to submit something, I will happily read it." Marla said. Some of the students sighed with relief but some of them exchanged eager glances as they filed out the room. Marla took another sip of water, draining the glass and placed it in the washer. She hadn't noticed the Starfleet Officials leave and was unsure whether this was a good thing or not. Hopefully, they would leave her alone from now on.

Gathering her things, Marla began making her way back to her office. The sun had settled behind some clouds and a chill had picked up in the air. It made her feel a little daft for wearing sunglasses but her hands were too full to remove them. As soon as she pushed into her office, she set her things down and relaxed into her chair again. She was due to hold office hours that afternoon and although she couldn't leave the room, it meant that she would be able to finally get those papers marked.

Lunch came and went. Abbi sent her a message on her PADD but she was more focused on getting caught up than meeting with her friend. The first of her students came for a quick meeting regarding one of the assignments that would be due at the end of the semester and she gave her as many tips as she could. Perhaps too many but she wanted all her students to do well.

At about three, there was another tap at the door and she looked up from the last of the papers, "Come in," she called, looking down again. The sound of multiple feet entering the room had her looking up and she frowned. It would seem that her wish to be left alone was going to go unheeded for the moment. In her room were three of the officials who had observed her teaching earlier. "Can I help you?" she asked. The frown deepened as the three shuffled in and settled on the other side of her desk. Two men and a woman quickly made themselves at home and she forced her breathing to settle down.

"I hope so," said the first one. He was a man in what appeared to be his mid-fifties. The last shreds of youth had not quite left him but it was clear they were on their way out. His once flat stomach was beginning to run to fat and his hair was clearly thinning, "My name is David Carter." She'd heard the name, "I'm the head of the Historical Research Division."

"Pleased to meet you," she said extending her hand across the table. He smiled and shook it gently.

"Your lecture this morning was most interesting," he said.

"Thank you. I try to push the boundaries of my students understanding but it doesn't always work. Sometimes, we get derailed, as you saw earlier," she replied as she sat back. She wondered where this was going and she flicked her eyes from David to the other two silent partners in the room.

"We're rather glad you did in fact." This time, it was the woman who spoke. Her blond hair was pulled into a rather severe bun and her blue eyes were cold.

"A rather unique opportunity had arisen within Starfleet and we're looking for a historian with a flair for the twentieth century." David said. Marla's frown began to evaporate; now she was interested.

"Oh?" she asked as she pushed back stray bits of red hair.

"It is a unique opportunity to examine some new found first hand evidence surrounding the events of the Eugenic Wars. You'll work in close partnership with other members of Star Fleet on cataloguing the findings." David said. The woman behind him snorted a little and wrinkled her nose. A strange reaction but she dismissed it out of hand, more interested in the details of this assignment.

"New evidence? In the shape of what?" she asked. David motioned for the third person to step forward.

"My colleague, Roland, has a few more details about it."

Roland was a tall, thin fellow with dark sunken eyes and sallow skin, "Most of the details around the assignment are classified and as such we are unable to discuss them until the candidate has been chosen. I can tell you that these accounts that have been found are mostly in the guise of conversations and transcripts," he said.

"And what would my role be in this?" she asked. Her heart had begun to pound at the thought of being able to conduct research. No more teaching students to fund half-baked projects that would get nowhere. Maybe she'd even be able to publish a book on the subject. Literature on the Eugenics Wars was thin on the ground due to most of the accounts of it being destroyed at its conclusion. It had taken years for Earth to recover from the damage done and what little was known was mostly conjecture.

"You'll be working in a top secret facility outside San Francisco, where you will stay during the week, living alongside some of the other researchers within the complex; I can't say more than this until you've decided what to do." Roland said. Marla nodded and turned her gaze back to David.

"I know we're being sparse with the details but we'd really like you to join the team." David said. "Bennett here will be your contact regarding the matter."

"What about my job here?"

"We'll cover it, don't worry, the students will be fine." Bennett said. Marla nodded, her mind struggling to take in all the information.

"It's rather a lot to think about, how long do I have to decide?" she asked.

"As soon as possible would be best, however, I understand it is a big decision to make. We'll leave our contact details with you; take some time to think about it." David said with a warm smile.

"By the end of the week would be best," Bennett said. Her words wiped away all the residual friendliness that David had set up but Marla found that she didn't mind all that much. The opportunity they were offering seemed to be rather a good one and it would mean getting away from teaching too.

"Thank you," she said as her mind began to whirr. The three of them all nodded and rose to leave. David extended his hand once more and she took it in hers, giving it a firm shake.

"I do hope to hear from you soon Ms McGivers, you'd be a real asset to the team," he said. With that, he turned and followed his colleagues out of the room, leaving her to her thoughts.

The proposal floated around her mind for the rest of the day, and was still swimming when she drove home that night. Rowyn was relaxing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a book when she arrived and threw her bag onto the table with a sigh. She poured herself a brew and lingered in the doorway, unable to leave the room just yet, "What is it?" Rowyn asked looking up from his book.

"I had a rather odd offer for a job today," she said.

"Oh?"

"It all sounds rather good but I'm not sure, perhaps a bit too good to be true really." Marla explained as she sat opposite her friend. He leaned his elbows on the table and flicked sandy hair from his face, waiting for her to continue. She gave a brief outline of what she was told earlier by David as she sipped her coffee. When she repeated it all, it sounded even better than it had earlier. The chance to learn of an almost unknown part of history was tempting and as she voiced her thoughts to Rowyn, she realised her mind was already made up.

"It sounds fantastic Marla," Rowyn said. "What's the problem?"

"I don't know," she sighed and shook her head a little, "It's a huge change, I'll spend nearly all my time in the secure facility and I really have no idea why. They won't tell me until I sign up so I have to make the decision without all the information," she pulled a face at the idea and he laughed.

"Must be a difficult thing for you," he said. She gave a shrug and nodded.

"I don't like to just charge ahead without knowing all the facts but I think I'm going to do this anyway. It's too good an opportunity to miss out on." She rose from the chair and placed her cup in the sink. "I'm going to give them a call. Tell them I accept."

"Do what you need to," Rowyn said with a warm smile. She returned the gesture, thankful that she had someone to talk with about such things. Leaving him where he was, she headed to her room upstairs to make the call. Holding the communicator in her hand, her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for the answer.

As soon as she heard David's voice, she forced herself to relax and explained that she would accept the offer. His enthusiastic response was what she had hoped for. He assured her that she would be the right one for the job, "I just hope you're up for the challenge, we need you to come and sign some papers before we can proceed however."

"I am out of class all afternoon tomorrow, I can meet you then," she said.

"Perfect, come by the faculty of historical records at about two tomorrow and we'll go through the details." David said. The conversation ended and she flipped the communicator shut, a tremor running through her at the thought of her new adventure. It was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. She placed the communicator on the side of her table and sighed, wondering what she would learn during the meeting tomorrow afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2 - Breakfast

Tuesday morning dragged. Marla had no real interest in her lectures that morning and the papers that had been handed in were far below her capability to read. The anticipation of learning more about her new occupation flooded her every thought and the more she dwelled on it, the more outrageous her thoughts became. At first, she was content to think that some fresh documents had been uncovered and they needed someone to read through them and catalogue them. Though a nagging thought at the back of her mind said that it wasn't so, anyone was capable of doing such a task and it wouldn't be a top secret matter either.

It was then that her thoughts began to run away with her, she wondered whether some accounts had been found that would incriminate some major families and so secrecy was necessary. Someone impartial, who knew very little about politics perhaps, or maybe they'd discovered some recorded documents that needed someone who had a vague knowledge of twentieth century technology. She did run a course on it after all and there were not all that many people who knew about the now obsolete technology.

By the time she was catching the cross campus shuttle; her mind was aflame with a multitude of different possibilities. None of which would come close to the truth. The sun had made itself scarce when she stepped from the crowded shuttle and she pulled her light jacket over her narrow shoulders. A shiver passed through her and she quickened her pace across the square. Fortunately, when she entered the climate controlled building, she warmed up.

Crossing to the receptionist, who sat behind a desk looking at her PADD, Marla coughed politely. The woman looked up and gave her a warm smile, "You must be Ms McGivers," she said. Marla nodded. "David's expecting you, his office is just down the hall, first door on the right," she said.

"Thank you," Marla said with a nod. The look on the receptionist's face was oddly sympathetic and she couldn't help wonder why. Dismissing the thought, she navigated the corridors until she found the right room. David Carter's name was on the door and she gave it a tap before pushing it open. He looked up from his desk and beamed a warm smile at her.

"Good to see you again Ms McGivers," he said as he laid aside his PADD. "Please, take a seat; we have a lot to discuss." She did as he asked and settled in the chair opposite him. A quick glance around the room told her he did a lot of his work here. It was welcoming, homely and thoroughly lived in. There were a couple of model ships adorning one of the shelves and several replica items from the previous century, including an early model of a tricorder. Perhaps it wasn't a replica!

"Thanks," she said as she set her bag onto the floor, "For the opportunity," she added.

"Don't thank me yet, you don't know what you're getting yourself into just yet. Before I answer any of your questions however, I need you to sign this." He slid a piece of paper towards her and she picked it up. It was a non-disclosure form requesting that she not speak of anything she learned in this meeting or pertaining to her future role. She swallowed, read it through twice before signing her name at the bottom of the paper. She handed it back to David and he gave a curt nod before putting it underneath the desk into a drawer. "Now that we've got that formality done, I can answer any questions you may have."

She let out a breath and a small frown puckered her brow, "Now that I can ask, I don't know where to start," she said.

"Take your time."

"Why the need for secrecy?" Marla asked, "My mind has been circling around and around all day and I can't figure it out."

David smiled and his gaze flicked down to the desk for a moment. "You're going to be working alongside someone from the twentieth century," he said. She blinked as the information sank in.

"What?" she asked when she found that it didn't settle. Maybe she'd misheard.

"Do you follow the news Marla?" he asked. She nodded. "Did you hear about the bombing in London and the ship that crashed?" She nodded again as she recalled the events, if not the details. "The news would have told you that it was caused by a rogue agent."

"John Harrison if I recall," she said, "Terrible deeds, but I don't know what that has to do with this."

"John Harrison was a pseudonym. It turned out that the late Admiral Marcus was developing weapons in order to defend against the Klingons. A task that drove him to extreme measures, as he scanned space in his ever increasing desperation, he came across the SS Botany Bay, a name that perhaps you're familiar with?"

"You're joking!" she said, her eyes widening at the mention of the name.

"No. The one behind the attacks wasn't John Harrison, it was Khan Noonien Singh," David said. He fell silent and she thought over the new information he had given her. Her first thought was that it was a brilliant opportunity to learn all about a period of history in which the details were sparse. It was shortly followed by the one that said Khan was a person who had rights and shouldn't be studied like some lab animal. This led her to remember that not only had he caused the deaths of millions back in the twentieth century, but rather a lot of people had died in both the bombings and when he flew a star ship into Head Quarters. She shook her head in disbelief.

"That's quite a story…" she muttered as the information took hold.

"Your role is going to be two fold. One aspect shall be to learn as much as you can about the Eugenics Wars, the other will be to help rehabilitate Khan into this century. It's not gone too well so far but Starfleet believe that he will be a valuable asset if he can readjust." David said. Alarm bells instantly went off in the back of Marla's mind. This man had already killed hundreds of people in order to achieve whatever goal it was he wanted. Who was to say he'd not do so again?

"Is it safe?"

"He'll be under surveillance all the time you'll be together, there is no way he'll be able to harm you," David said. She let out a breath she hardly knew she'd been holding and nodded.

"That's good to know," she said as she threw back strands of red hair. Reaching down, she opened up her bag and pulled out her PADD. She opened a new file and quickly began to jot down what she had learned so far, including the details on the security measures, the last thing she wanted to be was a bargaining chip for the notorious dictator. "What do you think I have that will enable me to rehabilitate this man? Surely a lot has already been done to do so," she said.

"The late Admiral Marcus was more than a little heavy handed with a particularly difficult customer," David said. "He used Khan's frozen crew as leverage against him in order to try and get him to do as he wanted." Marla's eyes widened at that thought, no matter how nasty someone was; using someone else against them was a low blow.

"So, what's changed?"

"He thinks they're all dead." David said.

"But they're not." David shook his head. Marla tapped that into her PADD and let the information sink in.

"So, what's the end game of this going to be?" she asked. "What does Starfleet intend to do with him when they've learned all they can and have no use for him anymore?" The words came out a little more forcefully than she intended and she inclined her head, "I don't mean that rudely," she added hastily.

"Of course not." The smile on his face had faltered a little however and she hoped it was only a minor mistake she'd made. "Personally, I don't know what they'll do with him. For the moment, the assignment is just listed as ongoing." His words were enough and she jotted down what he'd said. "I do have a file for you to read through before you start."

"That would be useful," he said. "We've also set up a time so you'll be able to meet Khan before the assignment begins."

A shot of ice flowed through her and she nodded, trying to fight against that thought, "When for?" she asked, a little too quickly.

"Breakfast tomorrow," David said. "It'll give you some time to read through the information we've got and get used to the idea as well."

"Thanks," she said. At least they hadn't scheduled that for this evening; there was no way she'd have been mentally prepared for that! Silence fell as she contemplated everything that she'd been told about her assignment. There was so much to digest, so much to think about and so much to take in, in such a short space of time as well. How she was going to do so was beyond her but she knew she'd do it. She had to. There was no way she wanted to disappoint the people who believed in her, which they clearly did.

"I know it's rather a lot to take in, so take this time to go and have a read through your files." David said.

"What about my old job?" she asked. It had taken such a low priority on her list of things to think about that she almost forgot to ask.

"Bennett's got it all covered for you," David said. The warm smile was back on his face and she nodded.

"I'd hate to leave the department in difficulty," she said, "They've been very good to work for." David nodded at her comment but remained silent on the matter.

"Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?" he asked.

"Not currently."

"My number is in the file; just send me a message if you think of anything between now and tomorrow morning."

"Where shall I meet you?" she asked.

"Come here at six thirty." She nodded her response and tucked her PADD back into her bag. Rising, she swung her red back onto her shoulder and extended her hand to David. He clasped it in hers once more and smiled again.

"I'll see you in the morning then," she said. He hummed a conformation and showed her out of the office. Only when she was out in the fresh evening air, did she allow herself to relax. Her world had just taken a rather dramatic shift and it was going to take more than a bit of time to get her head around it. Looking down at her watch, she had just over twelve hours to let it sink in before she met the man in question.

Dawn had happened about an hour previously and found Marla in front of her mirror telling herself that she could do what she was about to and could do it well. Her hair was as immaculate as it would be and she was as prepared as she could be. The previous evening had been spent reading through the file she'd been given on Khan, a document that hadn't told her all that much more than she knew already. Still, she'd read through it twice and slept a little easier than she thought she would. Checking herself over once more, she found everything to be perfect. Only then did she step out of her bathroom, slip on her boots and make her way downstairs.

She caught a shuttle to Headquarters rather than drive. She had no idea how long she was going to be gone and she didn't fancy leaving the vehicle parked indefinitely. As she did so, she scanned through the file once more, not wanting to leave any part of it overlooked just in case she'd missed something vital. The journey passed and she discovered nothing new. The air was crisp, lacking the heat that it would gain during the day and she found it rather refreshing as she crossed the courtyard to the designated meeting spot.

David and Bennett were waiting for her; Roland was nowhere to be seen. They greeted her with a warm good morning before ushering her into another shuttle to the secret facility. They travelled for a while in silence, the scenery flashing by swiftly as the shuttle sped them towards their destination.

It was Bennett who broke the silence, "I don't think you should expect a warm reception from Mr Singh," she said. Marla looked up from her PADD and tilted her head to the side a little.

"I'm not sure what I expect really," she said.

"We'll be with you the whole time," Bennett said. Marla frowned at that, not sure if that was the right way in which to handle this situation. Clearly they expected her to gain his trust and confide in her, if the others were sat with them, listening and monitoring everything that they said, it was hardly going to build an air of confidence.

"Perhaps that's not such a great idea," she said after a moment's thought.

"Oh?" This time it was David who spoke.

"Well, you want me to get as much information as I can from him and that's going to take a bit of trust. It's not going to get off to a good start if he thinks everything he says is going to be recorded and scrutinised for lies or whatever," she said. Bennett's eyes narrowed and she began shaking her head. Marla held up her hand and kept her eyes on the other woman's, "Try and put yourself in his position. I know it's probably rules and I'm not saying I want to go in there unprotected but, why not hang back a bit, watch from afar rather than breathe down our necks."

"I'm not sure if it'll be safe," Bennett said, "Mr Singh is known for his volatile and violent nature." Marla nodded her understanding.

"True, but I think this can be handled better than just sitting there awkwardly with everyone involved." Marla replied. David seemed to heed what she was saying and was nodding along with her.

"I think what Ms McGivers says has merit," he said, "Perhaps we should hang back while the initial contact is made."

"We'll still be in the room, we're not going to just leave him to do whatever he likes," Bennett said, "Roland isn't going to like this."

"Perhaps not, but I want this to work and I believe this is the only way to do so." Marla said. Bennett narrowed her eyes again before typing swiftly into her PADD. David lapsed into silence once more, leaving her to ponder the madness of the suggestion she'd just made. She was going to be alone with a mass murderer who was known for fits of aggression and dominance. She certainly hoped she knew what she was doing.

In little under an hour, they were ready. Despite the nerves that were making her heart pound and her palms clammy, her stomach growled. She was led to a window that looked into a room that was lit by a solitary bright light. The stark white walls were less than inviting and she swallowed. In the centre of the room was a single table with two chairs. At one of them was the 'project' she was going to be working on for the next god knew how long. Khan was sat rigid, facing the table, looking straight forward. Now that she was faced with the prospect of speaking with him without any security nearby, she wondered at the wisdom of her decision. David gave her shoulder a pat but there was no going back now. "We'll be here watching," he said softly.

Knowing that it was now or never, she gave a nod and reached out for the door. She tapped in the code and the door hissed open. He did not look up. Stepping into the room, she waited for the door to close before crossing the room and sliding into the seat opposite him. "Hello," she said. He regarded her with eyes that were an odd mixture of blue, green and grey all at once. The hardness in them was unmistakeable however but she refused to shrink back from him.

"Hello," he returned. He offered no further conversation.

"I'm not going to waste your time with small talk or pleasantries; I suspect you already know why I'm here." Marla decided that the best method of getting through this was as quickly as possible.

"Do enlighten me," he said. His voice was as hard as his eyes, Marla swallowed down her apprehension before continuing.

"My name is Marla McGivers, I am a historian an-"

"You're here to study me then." His interruption took her by surprise and she shook her head quickly.

"Not at all," she replied, "Star Fleet is interested in the experiences you have of the Eugenics Wars. Our records are severely lacking in detail and we have a unique opportunity to rectify that," she said. She shut her mouth abruptly, realising that she was in danger of rambling on about it. Leaning in a little closer, she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I, for one, do not see you as an experiment, partly the reason it's just you and I talking, without a full security detail in here." If her words surprised him, he made no show of it, instead his eyes flicked to the security window she'd been behind earlier before returning to her face.

"And you expect me to just tell you everything for nothing?" he said.

"No," she said, "I don't know what power I have yet." He snorted at that but she pressed on regardless, "But perhaps you can set down some of the things you'd like and I can see what I can do." She reached down and pulled out a pen and some paper from her bag and slid them over to him. He raised a brow at them and left them where they were. His eyes returned to hers; his face blank.

"Was there anything else?" he asked. His voice was as cool as it ever was and she sighed inwardly, this was going nowhere fast. She'd be lucky if he told her his name, let alone any of his experiences during the Twentieth Century. He casually flicked black hair from his forehead and she was struck by the grace of the simple movement. She had no doubt that he carried himself with the same easy acceptance, he certainly had the sure confidence of someone at ease with themselves and her confidence took another small blow. This was going nowhere fast.

"The way I see it Khan, there are two ways we can do this, we can work together and I can try and get as much for you as I can. Or we can struggle against one another until I'm pulled from this project and Star Fleet do with you what they will." Marla gave a shrug at that point, "I have no idea what that would be by the way, but I doubt it would be good." She suspected that they would return him to cryogenic suspension but there was no way she could know for sure and as such, she didn't mention it. "I shall leave you with that thought."

When she rose, she could feel his eyes on her. Marla did not turn back, did not even breathe as she walked towards the door. She half expected him to say something but the frosty silence remained until she opened the door and stepped out of the room. As soon as the door hissed shut behind her, she let out the held breath and sagged against the wall.

"Alright?" David asked.

"That was a complete disaster!" she replied. The tension drained from her shoulders as David guided her to a chair in front of the window. They were both settled, her gaze on her hands when David spoke.

"I wouldn't say that," she looked up at him and he indicated the window. Khan had picked up the pen and was tapping it on the table, clearly thinking about what she had said, "I'll get that paper to you as soon as he's done with it."

"He can keep the pen," Marla said.

"I don't think that's really appropriate." David said with a shake of his head.

"It is necessary though," Marla said, "Let me explain before you start huffing about it. It's more than just a simple pen; that is a show that I trust him and that you do too. If he'd going to tell us what happened freely, then we are going to have to take small chances."

David appeared to consider the suggestion before he slowly nodded his head. "Very well Marla," he said finally. Her stomach gave a loud rumble and she realised that she had skipped out on the meeting before they'd had a chance to eat. "Come on, let's leave the mastermind to think, we'll get something to eat and then I can show you to your rooms."

Rooms… that did sound promising. "Gladly!" she said, "I'm famished," she found that it was true as well. She rose shortly after him, sparing her new friend a final look. He appeared to be writing something on the paper she'd left and she gave him a warm smile, one he would never see. Marla could only hope that she had done the right thing. Dismissing the thought, she followed David away to another part of the base, the promise of food far more alluring than sitting watching the killer from behind the glass.


	3. Chapter 3 - Faith

After she'd been shown around the large facility and eaten a decent breakfast, Marla was left to her own devices. Bennett had informed her that although her role had already commenced, she would not be working directly with her charge for the time being. They had yet to establish a true connection and as such, Khan could not be trusted around her. Marla wondered at that. Perhaps she was being naïve about his nature; it wasn't like she had spent all that much time around him and what she'd heard from the news painted a bleak image. Still, she knew enough about people to know that trust had to be given if it was received.

In the meantime, she had been handed a lot of material to go through. Most of it was the existing accounts of the Eugenics Wars that were available. Some of which she had read already, some of which was new. The workspace she'd found was as open as it would get in an underground facility. The open area was near the cafeteria, which meant there were enough people coming and going to make it feel companionable. She'd not met any of the other workers there and sitting in an office by herself was only going to make her feel more isolated.

Besides, this way, she could access as much coffee as she wanted without having to go very far. The materials she had been reading were fascinating. Humanity was so different back then to what it was now. Looking three hundred years into the past was like viewing a completely different world, even their scope on medicine, a basic essential, was different. Yet, the more she read, the more she was able to relate to those people living centuries before.

How and why they thought the advent of nuclear weaponry was a positive aspect of daily life was beyond her. The people lived day to day with the knowledge that somewhere, someone could just press a button and that would be it; game over. The very thought terrified her and she was glad she had been born in a more stable time. By some miracle, nuclear war had never come to pass and she had to wonder about that. Pulling out her PADD, she added the question to the ever growing list of questions.

That was if he decided he was going to work with her of course. She'd not heard anything from Khan since their first meeting and she was unsure whether she would. It had been awkward at best and uncomfortable at worst. She had to hope however, it would be a real shame if her methods proved useless and they had to resort to treating him like a caged lion. Dismissing the thought, she returned her attention to the papers she was reading.

At lunchtime, she was approached by a slender young woman in a blue dress. Her blonde hair was trimmed into a choppy bob and the smile on her face seemed as genuine as they came. "Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked. Her English accent was crisp but friendly and Marla shook her head.

"Of course not," she set aside her papers and looked up, realising how much time had already passed that morning.

"I'm Carol by the way, you're Marla?" she asked. Marla nodded her answer, wondering what it was this woman wanted. "You're new aren't you?"

"That's right." Carol flicked her blonde hair from her face and smiled warmly.

"I thought so, welcome to the section. If you need anything, just ask."

"Thanks." Marla said. "You could watch my things for a moment while I grab some lunch." It wasn't a big ask and Carol nodded readily enough. Moments later, Marla returned with a sandwich and a fresh cup of coffee.

"I couldn't help notice these papers… you're working with… with _him_ aren't you." Carol said. There was a grimace on her face and her eyes had darkened a little.

"Do you mean Khan?" Marla asked. Carol nodded and she confirmed that she was.

"How can you bare it?" she asked as she bit into her sandwich.

"I don't know what you mean," Marla replied, chewing on her own lunch.

"I'm not trying to be rude," Carol said quickly. Marla realised that her response had been a little hasty and she shook her head.

"No, I honestly don't know. I've met him once and it was a little bit… awkward to say the least." Marla replied.

"Oh," Carol seemed a little perturbed by her answer and fell silent. Marla chewed her sandwich a little more.

"What do you do around here?" Marla asked, not wanting her first conversation on the base with a regular person to become awkward. Carol brightened at the change of subject, thankfully.

"I am a weapons specialist foremost but have been assigned here to catalogue and order the details of the Vengeance for the time being," she said. Now it was Marla's turn to nod, that was the ship that had crashed into San Francisco, the one Khan had built. "It's truly fascinating some of the articles that we've discovered will be revolutionary. Did you know that there's a component within the warp drive that is a quarter of the size on a standard star ship but allows for a much higher power output?"

"No…" Marla did her best not to let her eyes glaze over as Carol spoke. It wasn't that she found the subject boring per se, just that she didn't understand it. At all. Her enthusiasm as she spoke however was something else entirely. "I don't understand what you're saying but I can tell you're passionate about it. That's how I feel about learning new things about the past. That's why I am here." Her words struck a chord with Carol as she gave an understanding nod. "To learn all I can."

"Just be careful," Carol said. She'd finished her lunch now and gave Marla a warm smile, "I have to go back now, but it was really nice talking with you."

"You too," Marla replied as she stood. As soon as she had walked away, Marla returned her attention back to the pages she had yet to read. The rest of the day was spent doing just that, reading and making notes on some aspect or another that hadn't occurred to her before or questions that she wished to ask. Every so often, her mind would think back to the conversation she had shared with Khan and wonder whether he would take her up on the offer she had laid out. She hoped it would.

Three days later, Marla's suggestion paid off. She was presented with a list written in a neat, uniform script. As she unfolded it, another note fluttered to the floor, she bent down and scooped it from the floor. It was a little message, which she read hastily, than again slowly.

 _Ms McGivers,_

 _Although I doubt this list is conclusive, I do believe it will be a good start. If you are able to get Star Fleet to agree to even some of these, than I will be willing to share some of the things I have seen with you. Your willingness to trust me will not go unrewarded._

 _K_

She folded the note up and tucked it into a pocket. Unsure whether it had been read and scanned the security team, she filed away the message for future use. It felt rather personal and the idea that someone else had read it made her feel a bit… well a bit creeped out. Perhaps that was wrong. Perhaps not. Dismissing the thought as silly, she took her first look at the list. It ranged from the small to the impossible and included a note at the bottom insisting that he would keep the pen.

Marla read through the list; some of them were non-starters. Requests for 'unlimited access to the surface unsupervised' she knew would take a long time to acquire, if she could do so at all. Given his past history, it was highly unlikely that anyone would agree to that. It didn't mean that there couldn't be any compromises and if he truly wanted to visit the surface, than she was sure it could be arranged in some form. Some of the others however, were rather more acceptable;

· _Access to a PADD,_

· _Some reading material,_

· _A structured project to work on,_

· _Unrestricted access to the outside world,_

· _A private room without windows for spying on, preferably with an outside view._

· _Some decent coffee._

· _The ability to choose my own food._

· _Liquorice._

The last one on the list took her by surprise and she forced a smile from her face. At least that one was a simple request to fulfil. One she was sure she could organise relatively easily as well, seeing how the food replicators could just produce it. In fact, when she thought that bit more about it, she bet she could solve several of these issues at once.

She was convinced that there were several rooms that had replicators in… She pulled out her PADD and began jotting down the proposals before they could slip from her mind. Once she'd collected her thoughts, she arranged to meet David and discuss her options. The rest of the afternoon, she spent reading through the rest of the notes she'd been given.

"Absolutely out of the question," David said. Marla bit her tongue and swallowed back the ire that was rising in her blood. "There is no way we can give in to most of these demands, who does he think he is anyway?" David's face had turned a shocking shade of red and he was shaking his head in a rather dramatic fashion.

"We don't have to give him all of these; in fact I'm sure he's put them on here to make some of the others seem more reasonable." Marla said. "He knows damned well we're never going to give him access to the outside world unsupervised."

"Or ever!" David retorted. Marla didn't even want to think about that for the time being, it would he awful confined to this base for the rest of your life, never seeing the outside world. A pang of sympathy ran through her at the very idea but she dismissed it. Now was not the time.

"Exactly, so perhaps we can look at some of these other things instead," she said.

"Liquorice?"

"A room with a replicator perhaps." Marla said, "That way, we're meeting two of them at once." She knew the suggestion wasn't going to be met with all that much enthusiasm but she had to try and do something.

"Do you know how many of these rooms have replicators of their own?" David asked. She shook her head, "Three. It's not going to happen." Marla sighed and looked down at the list again.

"Why not get him to build his own then?" she said.

"Yes, that's a wise suggestion, giving a mass murderer the tools he needs for such a project is a good idea." David said. Marla ran a hand over her face and shook her head. David's sarcasm was not something that she wanted to deal with right now; she was trying really hard to get something here, couldn't he see that?

"Well, maybe while under my supervision then," she said finally. "I can work on my projects and he can work on that."

"I don't know," he shook his head slowly and sank back into his chair, "You didn't see the full scale of the damage he did." David said.

"No, I didn't," she said, "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try now does it. You brought me here to learn and in order to do this; some concessions need to be made." She knew her pitch was rising and was unable to prevent it. When she finished, she forced herself to take a deep breath and relax a little, "Sorry," she muttered. David nodded.

"I'm glad you're passionate about what you're doing, I just hope it isn't misplaced," he said.

"That's the reason you hired me isn't it?" she said, "Let's make sure we can get some of these things done shall we?" she added in a much more amenable tone.

"Let me have another look," he said. She handed him the list and sat back for a moment as her looked over it. The thoughtful expression on his face gave her a glimmer of hope for at least some of them. "Reading materials won't be a problem and I'm sure we can supply a PADD with some information on it a well," he added.

Excellent, it would be a start at the very least! "I'm sure we can do something about the food situation as well."

"May I remind you that he is a prisoner and should remain as such," David said. Marla nodded at that, temporarily satisfied that she had something to take back to Khan. Rising she gave another nod.

"I don't think there is anything else at the moment," she said.

"Go and find out what reading material he wants and I'll sort out a PADD," David said. Marla nodded again, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and left the room. Turning down the corridor, she prepared herself mentally for the next person she was going to see. The man himself… She just hoped that he was as receptive to the responses as she was. She did make sure to stop off at the replicator on the way!

It saddened her greatly as she approached his room. Guarded heavily by numerous security personnel, she had to identify herself three times before they would let her even get close and then again at the door. When they finally worked out whom she was and that she had been granted unlimited access to their prisoner, they were going to open the door for her but she stopped them. Instead, she knocked on the door like a respectful person was and waited for an answer. What if he'd been on the loo? Or getting changed or something like that? Had these people got no respect?

She waited for a murmur before she gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was perhaps the barest she had ever seen. There was a chair that was bolted to the floor next to a table, it was also bolted down. The bed was a simple uncomfortable looking affair and a small door led to the bathroom at the back. There was no window; the only light was from the artificial strip light on the ceiling, giving the place a clinical look. There was a white glass panel on one side of the room and she knew that for what it was: a viewing panel. No wonder he felt like such a lab rat, he would be watched all the time. She shuddered at the thought.

"Is my presence so bad?" he asked. She jerked her head up and blood flushed her cheeks.

"Not at all!" she replied. She looked up into his cool blue eyes and shifted her weight a little. He was occupying the only chair in the room and as she stood under his scrutiny, she could only feel uncomfortable. "Thank you for seeing me," she said.

"That's a bit of a moot point really Ms McGivers, I don't really have much choice in the matter so there's no option to refuse," he said.

His words caught her off guard and she tilted her head to the side a little, "I got your list," she said deciding that a change of tactic would be a better option that dwelling on his lack of power in anything. "One of them I can give you straight away." She held out the liquorice she had picked up from the replicator and placed it on the table in front of him. If she expected any form of gratitude, she was sadly mistaken. He just sort of looked at it for a moment before turning his gaze to her again.

It made her feel like some sort of bug under a microscope. She met his gaze however, not backing down under the intensity of his stare, "And the rest?" he said.

"You know some of them are not going to happen," she replied. "And before you tell me to make them happen, some of them are a straight up no." The look he gave her was somewhat scathing but she kept her eyes locked on his.

"So what are you proposing?"

Marla crossed the room and kneeled down at the table. She wanted to seem on the same level as him and even if he didn't believe that, she did. Steeling herself against his reaction, she began to answer his question, "I came here to ask what books you wanted to read and to inform you that they are locating a PADD for you to use, that's the good news." He nodded at that, "I can also let you know that you're going to be able to decide what you want to eat on a day to day basis and that I shall arrange for some half decent coffee to be brought to you but trust me when I say that it isn't all that great."

"That's a start," he said.

"The rest is going to take a little more time," she said as she leaned on the table. Somehow, he'd sat up a little and he was now looking down at her. His vivid eyes still regarded her intently but she wasn't mistaken when she noticed that his expression had softened a little. "But, I think you know as well as I do that there is no way they're going to let you walk about unattended for a very long time."

Slowly, he nodded his head again, "I'm not hearing a never," he said. Despite herself, she smiled.

"Love the optimism Khan but it's not going to happen." She shook her head to emphasise her point, "The room with a window is going to take a bit of working out with the officials, as is the project."

"Not keen on giving me tools then?"

"No. It could be that to start with, you work on something while I'm with you," she let out a little sigh, "I'm still working on that," she added.

"That would be acceptable," he said after a pause. His answer took her by surprise a little and a smile crept onto her face despite herself. Perhaps it was a small victory but it was one that she was going to take regardless.

"Now, about that reading material?" she asked.

"I wanted some fiction, classical fiction; Paradise Lost would be a good start."

"Marlowe?" she said

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"No, just a little surprising," Marla said. "I've not read any Marlowe for a long time but I know we've got some around here somewhere." A bang on the door brought her out of her surprise and she rose from her crouch, "Looks like my time is up, was there anything else before I go?"

"My main problem is boredom Ms McGivers, anything to do would be welcome," he said.

"I'll see what I can do," she said as she turned, "I'll come back with the books when I can." She caught his nod out of the corner of her eye before she strode back towards the door.

"Thank you," he said as she approached the door, "For the liquorice."

"You're welcome," she replied. As soon as she was out, she gave the guard a scathing look. He had no right to hoist her out of there but she had no way of telling him that without bothering David again and she felt she should leave him be for a while. Instead, she returned to her own room to retrieve a couple of things before heading to the library. She was sure she'd find some classics there for him to read while his PADD was arranged. It was a little something at least!


End file.
